Anthony Joshua has denied he has secretly tied the knot after being spotted wearing a ring on his wedding finger.
Speculation was sparked when the ring was noted by fans after Joshua posted a picture on social media. His army of 13.5 million followers was treated to a snap of AJ posing with the likes of Frazer Clarke, Derek Chisora, Eddie Hearn and Dana White at UFC London on Saturday night.
While most of those in the comments section were keen to talk about so many big names in the fighting world all being in one picture, some of his more eagle-eyed fans spotted that he appeared to be wearing something on his ring finger. A thin black band can be seen on his left hand in the bottom right of the photo.
"Love the pic but ……do I see a ring on his wedding finger," wrote one fan, who also added a heartbroken emoji. Another added: "Congratulations champ on the marriage," while many others also voiced their despair that the boxer appeared to have been locked down.
But those who harbour dreams of a shot with the heavyweight might still have a chance, after Joshua addressed the rumours. The fighter denied suggestions that he is or is about to get hitched, adding that he is currently a free agent in the love department.
According to The Sun , the item on his hand which tricked people into thinking love was in the air is actually a hi-tech fitness tracker. The Oura Ring, which retails at around £300, is similar to other fitness accessories like smart watches in that it can monitor sleeping patterns and measure things like heart rate and skin temperature.
"AJ is so focused on his boxing this year that he is married to the game," a source told The Sun. They went on to specify that AJ only wears it on his ring finger because that is the digit that the device fits on the best.
While rumours of a marriage were interesting to some, the question on fans' lips is more on the topic of who he will be facing next in the boxing ring. Plans for a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk have been scuppered by the heavyweight champ returning to Ukraine to defend his homeland from Russian invaders.
His promoter Hearn still expects the bout to take place at some point, but another opponent will need to be found in the interim. AJ has officially been approached about a fight against Joe Joyce, with his fellow Briton apparently on a five-man shortlist of potential rivals.
